Jeremy Lin Is The Face Of Brooklyn Nets Franchise, Says New York Knicks Star Carmelo Anthony

New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony wish nothing but the best for his one-time teammate Jeremy Lin. He believes the Brooklyn Nets have found their franchise player.

Lin inked a three-year, $36 million deal with the Nets early in the offseason. He was brought in to be the team’s starting point guard and de facto main attraction.

“He is the face of their franchise – believe it or not,” Anthony told New York Post. “He came up, they paid him. Now the ball is in his hands. Now he’s one of the franchise players over there. I don’t know what you want me to say about that. I’m happy for him, excited for him to see how it’s going to turn out over there.”

Lin will be playing alongside All-Star center Brook Lopez and Croatian sensation Bojan Bogdanovic. They will be supported by a cast of role players like Jarret Jack, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Randy Foye.

Despite their decent roster, the Nets aren’t expected to make the playoffs next season. ESPN projected the Nets to be tied with the Philadelphia 76ers at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

Nets general manager Sean Marks sees Lin as integral piece in the team’s rebuilding process. The 6-foot-3 playmaker is old enough to be a veteran voice in the locker room while young enough to still be a part of the team’s future plans. It also helps that he has a huge following abroad.

“We are excited to welcome Jeremy to Brooklyn,” said Marks, via Nets Daily. “He is a high character and competitive individual who will fit our culture moving forward, as well as the style of play that Kenny will be implementing. Jeremy is a proven veteran point guard with strong leadership qualities, who is an obvious fit in this system and city.”

Lin started his NBA career as a 22-year-old rookie for the Golden State Warriors in 2010. The following year, he joined the Knicks where he experienced unprecedented success within a two-month period. In his 35 appearances for the Madison Square squad, Lin averaged 14.6 points, 6.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game.